Research_paper_on_the_effects_of_the_stu.docx

Adamson University English and Foreign Languages Department

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements in English Communication 2

The Effects of Student Government in Makati High Schools

Submitted to: Prof. Bethany Marie C. Lumabi

Submitted by: Cayabyab, Ma. Salma Kirsten A. Racho, Marnie Martha M.

March 2015

Areas of Concern in the Effect of the Student Government I.

Introduction A. History AI.

Foundation of the Student Government in Schools.

AII.

Implementation of the Student Government in Schools.

AIII.

Constitution of the Student Government in Schools.

B. Development of the Problem BI.

Foundation of Student Government in the Philippines Schools.

BII.

Policies and Services of Student Government in Secondary Schools (Private and Public)

II.

Research Literature The Makati Supreme Student Government A. Advantages of the Student Government in Secondary Schools AI.

Fulfilment of the services of the Student Government

AII.

Motivational effects of the Student Government

AIII.

Discipline, Peace and Organization

B. Disadvantages of the Student Government in Secondary Schools BI.

Incompletion of help in the Student Population’s Grievances.

BII.

The misunderstandings between school administration, teaching faculty and the Student Government.

C. Status of the Student Government in Secondary Schools CI. The Schools’ Student Government Organization’s Activeness CII. Recognition of the Student Government Organization

CIII. Operation of the Secondary School’s Student Government Organization. III.

Conclusion A. Effect of the Student Government to High School Students B. Results of the Survey C. Improvement of Student Government in Secondary Schools.

Areas of Concern in the Effects of the Student Government in Highs Schools I.

Introduction A. History AI.

Foundation of the Student Government in Schools

A Student Council is a representative structure through which students in a postprimary school can become involved in the affairs of the school, working in partnership with school management and staff and parents for the benefit of the school and its students. The foundation of the Student Government, Student Council or Student’s in schools can be traced from the Youth Activism that started as early as the era of PreModern Europe where students enjoyed having no civil rights. In the middles ages, the ideas of the student government ideas started. The council was first brought to America in 1779 when it brought and started in the College of William and Mary. In the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson started the advocate of establishing a Student Government in the campus to educate the students in terms of citizenship. There was a massive increase of the student government population in the twentieth century; their reason was to improve the students’ better communication to each other. In 1886, President Harrington’s initiative to establish a student council in the University of Washington came into view. By the year 1920’s fraternities and sororities had become the center of many college societies. These social organizations over-ruled many student organizations in the campuses.

The first national student organization of student government leaders, the National Student Federation was founded in the year 1925. They supported many reforms on education and restrictions on student population behaviour. In High Schools, the student government have become a vital component of the school culture in this decade. The Student Government stood as the head of the clubs that operated outside the standard curricula. Student councils and their advisers were responsible in promoting the social activities, monitoring the halls and lunchrooms and organized assembly programs. Here the Student Government was a special kind of “authority in which students stood at the bottom of the long chain of command. The Student Government reached in the Post War era and stood in the predictable aspect in any high school life. In those years, high schools have become a center of patriotism and the student government stood by the principal’s side as a cooperative partner in managing the school. In 1950, the Student Government in colleges hit high-water mark as the larger and demographically diverse student population entered the campuses. In 1947, the local Student Government formed a national union and was called the National Student Association in a conference in the University of Wisconsin and had its first headquarters in Madison not very far from the University. They felt that each student government should have greater responsibilities and involvement not only in the social affairs of the students but also in the matters of education that were faced by their own institutions. The Student Government declined in its importance in the 1960’s when the students played significant roles in fighting for civil rights and antiwar movements. The

National Students Association’s reputation was marred when the Central Intelligence Agency revealed that the NSA had been providing funds for international student exchange programs and had exerted unofficial influence on its policies since in the early 1950’s. In the early 1970’s there was a wide transformation on educational governing policies. In secondary schools the student council had been focusing on dropouts and drug cases in the campuses than the monitoring of the lunchrooms and hall behaviours. As the years went on, the importance of students’ involvement in governance began to fade. High school involvement was declined even more and experts’ proposals for increased student participation were often precisely the same ones reported accomplishments of a dynamic student government in the 1940’s. By the end of the twentieth century, high school students have been involved in government balanced demand in extra-curricular activities such as the schools’ programs were lead or organized by the student government and coordinated the clubs in the schools. In universities, the student council officers sat in committee meetings and managed a considerable number of student activities, budget them using the activity fees and have provided services to their fellow students. AII.

Implementation of the Student Government in Schools

The widespread campaign of the implementation of student leadership in schools started at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. Like when the Student Government idea was coined in the middle ages. After that, there was a massive rise of the student government population in Europe. Thomas Jefferson

implemented the Student Government in the University of Virginia for the education on citizenship. The key goal of the implementation of the student government was to serve the students and to represent their interests. AIII.

Constitution of the Student Government in Schools

All of the Student Government follows only one constitution that it contains the duties, policies and bylaws. Their duties there are to represent their interests to the administration. To investigate any matters those affect the student body other than those infringing upon the individual rights or reserved to the Faculty. In the constitution, no racial, physical, mental, sexual orientations, religious belief, and or other issue discriminations. There states that the organization is a nonprofit organization. As stated in the constitution, the student council officers shall obey the bylaws and policies of the campus where they are. And they are to recite the preamble upon their win in the campus wide elections. B. Development of the Problem. BI.

Foundation of the Student Government in the Philippine Schools

The Student Government here in the Philippines have a brief history. In 1996, the Philippine government established the Center for Students and Co-Curricular Affairs or CSCA. Its goal is to facilitate the co-curricular work of the student councils in the country. After the CSCA was established, the National Federation of Supreme Student

Government or NFSSG was built to have a more organized association for all the Supreme Student Government in every secondary school. BII.

Policies and Services of the Student Government in Secondary Schools (Public and Private).

In 2010, according to the order from the Department of Education, they enjoined all schools to implement the One School, One Supreme Student Government Policy. It aims in the groundwork for better unity and cooperation among pupils and students by providing them a venue for the improvement of their leadership skills and abilities. There was a revision of the standard constitution and by-laws of the SSG in the year 2009. Its objectives are to strengthen the SSG and studentry in all secondary schools, to provide easy monitoring and evaluation the student government. The Constitutions contain the Principles and Objectives of the Student Government in high schools. One is to train the members for effective and efficient leadership, help the students develop self-confidence, promote unity among leaders and the studentry, maintain the school aspirations to promote quality education and academic excellence; serve and protect students’ rights and welfare and represent the studentry in the policy-making body of the school concerning students’ welfare. It also includes the powers and duties of the Supreme Student Government. The following are the functions and responsibilities of the student government. The student government must formulate and recommend programs that will address relevant issues or concerns of the studentry. They must plan and implement the policies made to protect and to promote the students’ rights and welfare. Create committees necessary

to address the needs of the students, make recommendations to school authorities regarding student matters, affairs and activities. The student government must be a representative of the studentry in voicing out their suggestions and grievances. They must also participate in the crafting or formulation of School Improvement Plans (SIPs). The constitution also consists of the duties and the functions of each Student Government Officers. The constitution enumerates the roles of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor, and Peace Officer to the year level representatives and their chairpersons. And they must organize committees to address students’ need in every aspect especially for their welfare. The policies include the organization of the homeroom class organizations that are parallel to the organizational structure of the SSG. They must help the SSG in implementing the programs and policies. Every SSG in each school, they must have one SSG Adviser who is designated by the Head if the School Administration. They must be preferably from the Social Science Department with a good moral character and reputation in school and community. He/she shall monitor the programs, projects, activities and meetings of the SSG at all times. As stated in the constitution, the SSG shall organize a general assembly that shall be a forum for information and consultations which decisions shall be significantly considered.

The constitution also includes the impeachment, resignation and vacancies of the officers. There are grounds to follow to impeach an officer. One is the culpable violations of the constitution and by-laws. The second is the gross misconduct, violence to person in authority, negligence and disloyalty to the cause of the SSG and the school. The third is the abuse or misuse of power vested in him/her and authority.

II.

Research Literature The Makati Supreme Student Government. A. Advantages of the Student Government in Secondary Schools. AI. Fulfilment of the Services of the Student Government. The roles of each Student Government officers must be fulfilled. It was in their

preamble they recited upon their win in the campus-wide elections. Every month, the school’s head of administration or the principal receives the accomplishment reports. The accomplishment reports states the activities achieved by the Supreme Student Government. They follow a certain calendar activities that would be their guide into preparing the activities. By the month of June for example, a number of accomplishments written for documentation. They include the Earthquake Drills that ensure the knowledge of the students and it is also for their welfare. Next is the number of the seminars attended by the student leaders of each school in Makati. That included Fort Bonifacio High School, Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino High School, Makati High School, Pio del Pilar High School, Pitogo High School, Tibagan High School and Makati Science High School. Every month, the duly elected Secretaries for each Student Government must prepare the monthly accomplishment reports to be submitted to the principal or the head of the school administration if the principal is not around. It is noted by the adviser to ensure its validity. These accomplishment reports states that the student government for each school dutifully fulfil their given tasks.

AII. Motivational Effects of the Student Government The duties of the Student Government include the creating of committees to address the needs of the students and it also includes the making of recommendations to school authorities regarding student matters, affairs and activities. So, in some time around the year, the student government prepare or organize a seminar for Student Motivations. It involves the School-Based Leadership Training and the YES Camp provided by the Regional Federation of the Supreme Student Government. These seminars spearheaded by the student governments help the student in motivation for their inner student leadership skills. The seminars are conducted either in the school premises or outside the school for camp. They send students to camps like YES Camp and the organizers prepare a series of activities for the student leaders. AIII. Discipline, Peace and Organization One of the duties and powers of the SSG in Secondary Schools is the maintenance of the peace and order in the school. There is a certain officer for the maintenance, it is the Peace Officer, he/she must help the administration in keeping peace and order during meetings or any activities held by the student government or around the school. He/she must as a disciplinary officer, if needed. He/she must act as the chief peace officer and over all Sergeants-at-arms of subordinate organizations and homeroom class organizations.

Acquired from different Makati high schools are the accomplishment reports and these included the implementation of the discipline, peace and organization in their respective schools. In Fort Bonifacio High School, they implemented the Class Pass; a class pass is required to get out of the classroom to prevent the crowding of the corridors. The officers also implemented the restriction of Gadgets, the students were prohibited in using gadgets in the school premises and it dutiful monitored by the officers. In Makati High School, the accomplishment reports have ‘Corridor Monitoring’ documented in the reports. The SSG officers and teachers monitor the corridors to maintain the peace and order in the school. The schools were active in signing campaigns for peace like the ‘Yes for Peace’ campaign that is happening all throughout the country. B. Disadvantages of the Student Government in Secondary Schools. BI. The Incompletion of Help in The Student Population’s Grievances. The Student Government is required to spearhead a General Assembly with the Homeroom class Presidents in every two months. They request the students to make a list of their grievances on facilities, faculty and administration. These grievances are discussed in front of the School’s Administration and the Presidents representing their classes. The heads of the faculty meet with the Student Government and the student body to decide on the cases or grievances.

They address and make amends on the matters being discussed and they will ensure the process in fixing the issues of the students. However in the reports from the Makati City High School SSGs, the same grievances show up every two months and have not been fixed by the heads that were tasked to fix the certain issues. This was the case since 2010 as documented in the Accomplishment Reports Compilation of the Federation of the Supreme Student Government in Makati City. BII. The Misunderstandings between school administration, teaching faculty and the Student Government. According to the revised SSG Constitution and By-Laws, one of the functions of the SSG Officers is to have such powers and duties as the school authorities and the studentry may, from time to time, grant or delegate, consistent with stated principles, objectives and school policies. But somehow the Student Council have many misunderstandings in the administration and faculty. The grievances reports for example, they have not addressed the grievances completely, simply because of the lack of budgets. Students must pay their respective activity fees voluntarily not mandatory and this is the start of their misunderstandings. The budget proposals for the improvement of the facilities lack in terms of financing since only few students have voluntarily paid their contribution. And this is the Student Government’s problem since one of their functions is to implement policies and programs designed to protect the students’ welfare.

C. Status of Student Government in Secondary Schools. CI. The Schools’ Student Government Organization’s activeness This is based on the Compilation of the Accomplishment Reports of the Federation of the Student Government. By the data given, the SSG Secretary must prepare the Reports to prove the activeness of their Organization. By the school year 2014-2015, the SSG in secondary schools have been very active in activities. And they have been the ones to organize the activities held for the teachers and the student body. Like the traditional Student-Teachers’ Week for the National Celebration of World Teacher’s Month. This February 2015, the FESGOM, have conducted a campus-wide elections for the incoming SSG Officers for the next school year. And earlier this March, the FESGOM have conducted the elections for the Makati Division FESGOM Officers and have Leandro Nico Ponce from Fort Bonifacio High School as their incoming president. CII. Recognition of the Student Government Organization. The campus-wide campaigns for the elections in the Supreme Student Government have been the means of the recognition of the Supreme Student Government in Makati High Schools. In the website YouTube, the SSG of many Makati High Schools have posted campaign videos for the recognition of the party lists. They also conducted only voting polls for the running candidates and students have great recognition of the Student Government in high schools.

CIII. Operation of the Secondary Schools’ Student Government Organization. The high schools in Makati have only one Supreme Student Government in each school. An order by the Department of Education in the magazine, The Student Leader, the mandated thrusts, programs and activities of the Supreme Student Government shall be focused on. They have to comply on the approved activities given by the Department of Education with the help of the Center for Students and Co-Curricular Affairs. The activities with be organized with the help of the voluntary contribution of the students that include the SSG Fee worth fifty pesos one student. And funds are increased by the collection and disbursements of the SSG Developmental Fund with the help of the respective advisers with the school administration and teaching faculty.

III.

Conclusion A. Effect of the Student Government to High School Students. The effect of the student government to high school students depend how the

student government organization managed the welfare of the students and the school. They are the one who keeps the peace, balance and discipline in the school. So, if the student government officers have no capability to keep the peace, balance and discipline in the school. They are not effective leaders. Without them, no one will discipline the students because not all the teachers and staff can handle a hundreds or thousands of students. No one will voice out all the student body, student government is also the voice of all students. The student government officers are the students’ connection to the management of the school, if there will be a meeting the student government will be their representative and stand up for the entire student wants. The effect can be good and bad. The student government teaches the student how to choose and vote the right leader. B. Result of the Survey Based on the survey that conducted in Fort Bonifacio High School in Makati, some of the students don’t feel the student government organization. They are having second thoughts if there is such an organization maybe that’s the reason why half of the students answered that they are having a second thoughts to participate or not to join any of the activities. The survey also shows that half of the students are not satisfied on the student government’s works and performance. It means that the student government officers’ performance is not enough to satisfy the students.

Although the performance of student government officers did not satisfy the needs of service that students are looking for, most of students agreed that the student government organization help them in their grievances but some of them still not feel and having a second thoughts. As the role models and leaders of the students, they should obey and apply the policies of the school to all the students especially to themselves. The big question is, if any of the officers offend or broke any policies of the school. 23 out of 54 students answered ‘Agreed’ that some of the officers broke policies. 18 of them having second thoughts while the rest of them believe that the officers did not broke any policies. Maybe those student who disagree, has a deep faith on the student government. 33 out of 52 disagreed, that the student government should blame for a scandalous event that will ruins the school reputation.19 of them answered maybe and the others agreed. Many students says that the student government organization help in keeping peace, balance and discipline inside the school. C. Improvement of the Student Government in Secondary Schools. According to the American Student Government Association, Analyzing Infrastructure is one. Reviewing and analyzing your structure and core documents such as your constitution, bylaws, and election code will ensure that you're maximizing your effectiveness and help you close any loopholes. Enhancing Voter Turnout. You'll achieve this through creative marketing strategies, use of technology, and new paradigms of when, where, and how to run your elections.

Increasing Recruiting and Retention. Improving Your Image. Boost awareness and opinions of SG across campus through a strategic outreach plan including public appearances, advertising, and marketing. Developing New Services. Create new "signature program" services that address your student body's needs and desires and raise awareness of SG in the process. Ensuring Smooth Transitions. Improve your transition materials and retreats so that your successors step into office fully knowledgeable and competent to carry on where you left off, making the change seamless. Comparing Your SG With Others Nationwide. We'll help you compare and contrast your current levels of effectiveness and efficiency with SGs at similar institutions to find areas of improvement. Enhancing

Administrator

Relations.

Improve

your

relationships

with

administrators, faculty, and staff by analyzing how "friendly" they are to the concept of student governance on your campus. Improving Media Relations. Improve relations with your campus media, create strategies for generating positive and accurate coverage, and develop a plan for how (and if) to respond to negative attacks.

REFERENCES Altbach, Philip G. 1974. Student Politics in America: A Historical Analysis. New York: McGraw-Hill. Department of Education and Science.(2002). Student Councils: A Voice for Students. Federation of the Supreme Student Government. DepEd.(2010-2015). Accomplishment Reports Compilation. Freidson, Elliot, ed. 1955. Student Government, Student Leaders and the American College.Philadelphia: United States National Student Association. G. Wallach. Macmillan Reference Books. (2003). Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood: In History and Society. History

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8npEeRLpFNs&feature=youtu.be Magna

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https://SCAPnational.wordpress.com/events (NFSSG) A Supreme Student Government Publication, NCR.(2010, special edition). The Student Leader. Smith, Joe. 1951 Student Councils For Our Times. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University.

Team

Nationalista

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(video

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oQW3l38LLg T.L.Ridon, Kabataan Partylist Representative. House of the Representatives: House Bill No. 1098